1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to apparatus for depalletizing layers of articles, one layer at a time, from a pile of superimposed layers which have separating elements positioned therebetween and which are carried by a pallet resting on a support therefor and for transferring the layers from the separating elements on to a layer-receiving surface located at a predetermined height from the ground.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The invention is concerned with depalletizing apparatus of the kind which comprises a transfer head reciprocable in a vertical path and including a transfer table to receive layers one at a time from the top of the pile, means operable to lower or raise, as appropriate, the transfer head relative to the pallet support and the layer-receiving surface thereby first to align the transfer table with the top layer of the pile and then to align the transfer table with the layer-receiving surface, transfer means associated with the transfer head and operable to move the top layer from the pile on to the transfer table and then to move the layer from the transfer table on to the layer-receiving surface, and operating means operable to reciprocate the transfer means lengthwise of the transfer table.